1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related generally to a data processing system and in particular to a method and apparatus for a wireless access point. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for controlling and calibrating a wireless access point range.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wireless networking technology enables users to access networks, such as the Internet, from wireless hand held computing devices. Wireless hand held computing devices include, but are not limited to, laptop computers, tablet PCs, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and cellular telephones.
A wireless access point (WAP) is a device that provides access to a wireless network, such as a router. A client device, such as a laptop or PDA, that wants to access the wireless network, requests access from the wireless access point. The wireless access range is the range within which a wireless access point can provide a client with access to a wireless network. In other words, access range is the number of feet from an access point within which a wireless network adapter on a client device can see the wireless access point.
Wireless technology is improving very rapidly. Current wireless access points can support a wireless access range of approximately four hundred and ten feet (410 ft) indoors and one thousand eight hundred seventy feet (1,870 ft) outdoors under 802.11 standard wireless access protocols. However, if a client device is outside the wireless access range of the wireless access point, the client device will not be able to access the network through that particular wireless access point without moving into the wireless access range.
A wireless access point can provide open access to client devices. Open access provides access to all requesting client devices within the access range of the wireless access point without requiring a user authentication. However, when a wireless access point is not configured to provide open access, requesting client devices must go through an identification or authentication process to confirm that the user is authorized to obtain access to the network before the wireless access point will grant network access to the client.
Typically, a user or client authentication procedure involves a requesting client providing a user name and password. However, other authentication methods can be used including, but not limited to, an IP address of the requesting client, a private key or public key, a digital signature, a finger print, voice print, retina scan, any other biometric, or any other means for determining whether a user is an authorized user.
Frequently, wireless access point owners want to provide open access to persons on their property. For example, coffee shops, hotels, airports, restaurants, and colleges generally have open access points to draw in customers and students. In another example, a homeowner may have open access points within a home because the owner wants to provide access to friends, family, and house guests without having to deal with reconfiguring security settings on the access point and/or on the client devices trying to connect to the wireless network.
However, wireless access points frequently provide a wireless access range that overlaps onto adjacent or nearby property, allowing users located off of the owner's property to utilize the wireless access point. Using current methods, a wireless access point owner cannot readily control the range of open access. Therefore, users may be unable to avoid providing open access to client devices not located on the wireless access point owner's property. Because users cannot readily adjust wireless access point range, they must implement security settings requiring user and/or hardware authentication to control access to their networks. This method can be inconvenient and burdensome to users.